Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon 850 processor will arrive in Windows PCs this year

Qualcomm has announced a new processor specifically designed for Windows 10 Always Connected PCs. The new Snapdragon 850 succeeds the Snapdragon 835 used in the first Always Connected PCs and offers improved performance, connectivity, and battery life. The Always Connected PC platform is Microsoft and Qualcomm’s answer to the iPad Pro. It features ARM processors, integrated LTE, long battery life, and an instant-on resume with no hibernation.

The Snapdragon 850, which Qualcomm says will only be used in PCs and will not make its way to phones, is essentially a customized version of the Snapdragon 845 that debuted in phones earlier this year. The improvements that it brings to the Always Connected PC platform are in line with that: it has...